Women's Golf

SPOKANE, Wash. -
Junior Maurissa Medina finished a career-best ninth and the Cal State Northridge women's golf team posted a final round 307 to finish fourth at the Bulldog and Eagle Invitational at Hangman Valley G.C.

The Matadors (313-301-307--921), who were third as a team after two rounds, were overtaken by the host Gonzaga Bulldogs (913) in the final round. Northern Arizona (900), the team leader after two rounds, held off Montana (906) to take home the team championship by six shots. UC Riverside (932) rounded out the top-five in the 14-team field.

"I'm very pleased," said Head Coach Bonnie Murphy. "The girls weren't very happy with their scores which is a good thing."

Medina, a junior from Fresno, Calif., posted the best finish of her Northridge career as the three-round (+11) 227 left her tied for ninth. Medina redshirted the 2006-07 season and did not post a top-20 finish during the 2007-08 or 2008-09 seasons when she competed in eight tournaments for the Matadors. Her best round of the 2008-09 was a 78 and she matched that in the opening round on Monday. She then came back with a second round 74 Monday afternoon and a 75 on Tuesday to pace the Matadors.

"Maurissa's short game was really key today," said Murphy. "She did great out of the bunkers which were really difficult and gave many of the players a really hard time. Her putting was really, really good and her short game in general helped her score the best for us."

Junior Ashlee Nagamine posted her first top-20 finish of the young season as she finished tied for 19th at (+15) 231. Nagamine, who had a team-best four top-20 finishes last season, carded rounds of 79-75-77. Sophomore Kendall Patten finished a shot back of Nagamine at (+16) 232 to tie for 23rd. Patten finished with rounds of 76-80-76. Freshman Clariss Guce, competing in her first collegiate tournament, and sophomore Lady Samson both finished tied for 29th at (+19) 235. Both finished with identical round scores of 80-76-79.

"With five scores in the 70's today, that's the best we've posted in a long time," added Murphy. "I think it's a good start to the season."

Gonzaga's Victoria Fallgren, who shot a shoots school-record 67 in the final round, overtook day one leader and teammate Sage Suffecool to take individual medalist honors with a score of (+1) 217. Suffecool and Montana's Carissa Simmons tied for second at (+5) 221.